Magic Tree House #49: Stallion by Starlight (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))

“I love looking at your notebook,” Annie said. “It helps me remember all of our adventures.” She turned a few pages. “Aww, polar bears in the Arctic. The cubs were so cute … and Pompeii and the volcano! Oh my gosh, remember Hercules?”
    “Yep,” said Jack without looking up.
    It was a warm day in June. Jack and Annie were sitting on the front porch of their house. While Annie thumbed through his notebook, Jack was reading a book about giant pandas in China.
    “Ooh,” said Annie as she flipped through more pages. “The ghost town in the Wild West! The invisible piano player, remember?”
    “Yep.”
    Annie turned another page. “Remember Australia? The baby kangaroo, the koala, the dingoes! The forest fire!”
    Jack looked up. “Yep,” he said. “Look, that’s all cool, but I can’t talk now. I’m trying to read the last page of my book.”
    “You’re going to need a new notebook soon. This one is almost full.” Annie closed the notebook and put it into Jack’s backpack. She stretched. “I think I’ll go for a bike ride,” she said. “Maybe stop by the library … go to the pool.”
    Jack closed his book. “Done!” he said. “Now I need something new to read. I’ll ride to the library with you.” As he pulled on his backpack, Jack caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye. He turned, and what he saw was incredible.
    A small penguin was standing on the sidewalk in front of their house.
    “Penny?” Jack said.
    “Oh!” cried Annie. “Oh! Oh! Oh!” She dashed off the porch.
    Jack ran after Annie. They both knelt down beside the little penguin. “What are
you
doing here?” Annie asked.
    Jack picked Penny up, and he and Annie stroked the penguin’s downy head. “Hey, what’s happening, Penny?” he said. “Why are you here?”
    Peep.
    “The tree house!” said Annie. “It must be back.”
    “Hey, guys!” Jack and Annie’s dad called from behind the screen door of their porch.
    Annie quickly jumped in front of Jack to hide the little penguin. “What is it, Dad?” she said.
    “I just made some fresh lemonade,” their dad said.
    “Thanks!” Annie said. “We’ll have some as soon as we come back!”
    “We’re heading into the woods for a few minutes!” said Jack.
    “Okay. It’ll be in the fridge,” their dad said.
    “Thanks,” said Jack. “See you later!”
    “Let’s go!” said Annie.
    Holding Penny in his arms, Jack hurried with Annie down the sidewalk. “Did you come here with Teddy and Kathleen?” he asked the penguin.
    Peep.
    “Is that yes or no?” asked Jack.
    Peep.
    “Yes,” Jack said.
    “No,” said Annie at the same time.
    “I guess we’ll soon find out,” said Jack.
    Jack and Annie crossed the quiet street and headed into the Frog Creek woods. As they hurried through the dappled light, the air smelled of summer. Squirrels scurried up trees. Crows cawed to one another.
    When Jack and Annie came to the tallest oak, they stopped. The tree house was nestled in the branches near the top. A long rope ladder dangled down to the ground.
    “Teddy! Kathleen!” shouted Annie.
    There was no answer.
    Peep.
    “So you came here all by yourself?” Jack said to Penny. “Is something wrong in Camelot? Are Teddy and Kathleen okay? What about Morgan and Merlin?”
    “Let’s go!” said Annie. She started up the rope ladder. Still holding the little penguin, Jack awkwardly climbed after her.
    “Oh, wow!” said Annie when she reached the tree house.
    “Oh, wow
what
?” asked Jack. He hoisted Penny into the tree house and climbed in after her. Then he also whispered
“Oh, wow.”
    An old man with a long white beard, a pointed hat covered in stars, and a red cloak stood in a shadowy corner.
    “Merlin!”
breathed Annie.
    “I see Penny found you,” the master magician of Camelot said in his velvety voice. The little penguin waddled to Merlin and stood beside him.
    “Yes,” said Jack. “She came right up to our house.”

    “Is something wrong in Camelot?” asked Annie.
    “No, all is fine,” said Merlin. “Your friends are well. I just decided I wanted to visit you myself.”
    “Cool,” said Jack shyly. Merlin had never come to Frog Creek all by himself.
    “Let me tell you what is on my mind,” said Merlin. “I have been thinking very deep thoughts, pondering questions that wise men and women have pondered through the ages.”
    “Pondering?” asked Annie.
    “
Ponder
means to think carefully about a subject,”